Client Success

Your Success is Our Success

You and your project are the most important project we're working on. That has been our approach for more than 50 years.

On this page you'll find some of our client success stories, sorted by industry. We invite you to read what we have accomplished for other organizations. Then please contact us to see what we can do for.

High-Tech

Medical

Spool/Sleeve Actuators for Boeing Aircraft

Problem: Part match-fit and cylindricity requirements made vendors willing to accept the responsibility of holding print tolerances scarce.

Material: 440C HT 58 RC min

Critical Dimensions:

Match-fit clearance: hold match fit clearance spool/sleeve to .00005". The resulting cylindricity on both spool and sleeve necessarily were near .000025".

4 Ra surface finish

Resolution: Match-fit of .00005’’ was attained for customer, and all parts passed aircraft standard inspection. Project was completed and customer was awarded future orders for multiple units over the next 5 yrs.

High Precision Shaft

Problem: Company in California could not find a local source for high-end aerospace shaft work.

Material: 440C HT 55 RC min

Critical Dimensions:

All diameters ground - two (2) with tolerance of .0001” total

Perpendicularity to .00002” (20 millionths) and concentricity to .000025” (25 millionths) on all ground surfaces.

4 Ra surface finish

Resolution: parts were ground to all specs per print. The customer not only provides the above part to the end user on a repetitive basis, but also receives first right of refusal on all similar high end projects.

Missile Wing Pins

Project: Missile Wing Pins

Problem: A Tier-1 defense contractor rejected parts from their primary vendor for a high-end precision pin used to affix fins onto missiles. The rejection of the pins caused a delay in shipment of missiles to The Persian Gulf, and left them with no source for the pins after the primary vendor lost approved status. The Tier-1 contractor needed to ship missiles within 2 weeks otherwise late delivery penalties would be assessed.

Material: 440C HT 55Rc min

Critical Dimensions:

Diameter .19000 +/- .00003” (30 millionths)

Flats and specific nose configuration

Parts needed to be manufactured "complete" in a 1-2 week time frame!

Resolution: Parts were manufactured complete in 10 days from purchasing material, blanking, HT and all grinding operations. All features were ground, including nose angle and nose radius. The diameter sizes needed to be recorded and the parts bagged & tagged to match the parts up for press fitting into existing holes in missile wings. The customer was able to keep to their quoted delivery schedule and avoid penalty.

Firing Pins

Project: Firing Pins

Problem: In preparation for a rapid deployment of troops for a broad-based military engagement a primary DOD supplier was contracted to manufacture firing pins for machine guns. The features of the pins were complex and the time frame for completion was extremely tight.

Material: Tool Steel HT 50-55Rc

Critical Dimensions/Requirements:

Part geometry was fairly complex - but the project HAD to have highest priority - grinding needed to begin within the hour that the parts were received

Resolution: The project was evaluated for scope of work, programming and required resources to achieve the project goals. The shop schedule was reevaluated and revised to accommodate the needs of the customer (and ultimately the DOD). Communication to customers whose jobs were affected by the revision was immediate and comprehensive. Arrangements were made to ship their projects to other potential vendors who could meet their needs, and keep their project on schedule if necessary.

The firing pins were accepted and completed within days. The first parts on the project were delivered in 1 day. The arrangements made for the customers whose projects would be potentially affected were NEVER exercised. M&S flexed its schedule and added the necessary hours to accommodate the DOD and the previously committed to schedule. All customers projects were delivered on-time.

Housing

Project: Housing

Problem: Extremely tight tolerances and difficult part configuration (larger diameter/thin wall) made a housing used to convert older "dumb" bombs into laser-guided missiles very difficult to manufacture. The project, and a large projected cost savings to the DOD, was threatened by the difficulty with this part.

Resolution: M&S suggested to grind an additional feature - the OD - to qualify it in order to use a radical workholding fixture that they designed. By grinding this additional feature the consistent grinding of the critical .0001" ID diameters not only became feasible, but the overall grinding cost decreased because of the efficiencies that were gained.

The project moved forward. The cost reduction and delivery/timing gains anticipated by converting older equipment into new, high-tech components were realized.

Motor Shaft

Project: Motor Shaft

Problem: A manufacturer of High-Tech components for computers could not find a source within the US to prototype extremely high-end motor shafts. The company was forced to use its production partners overseas that were engaged in manufacturing high volume runs of similar parts. Long delays and high costs in the prototypes resulted as production partners could not efficiently break into the 100,000/day production runs to respond adequately to prototyping needs.

Material: 420 SST HT 50+RC.

Critical Dimensions:

Diameter: 4mm +/- .0005mm (20 millionths inch)

Roundness to .0005mm (20 millionths inch)

Finish .06µm Ra (2.3 MIF)

Resolution: M&S was approved as a vendor after careful inspection of the facility and capabilities. Three hundred (300) prototype parts were produced within four (4) weeks (lead time from production partner was 12 weeks) to the specifications listed above. Customer now off-loads prototyping to M&S confidently while production of high volume daily needs can continue uninterrupted.

Motor Rotor

Problem: Very thin wall and tight tolerances on OD & ID make the part very difficult to manufacture. The ultimate customer, a defense contractor, could not find source to keep up w/ production.

Material: HT Cobalt

Critical Dimensions:

OD – approximately .7000” with a total tolerance of .0004” (.01mm)

ID – approximately .6640” with a total tolerance of .0003” (.0076mm)

Wall thickness = .018” (.46mm)

Finish 16 Ra

Concentricity .0003” TIR (.0076mm)

Resolution: A grinding process was developed that yielded < 1 % scrap with a production rate that could easily keep up with part demand. The ability to meet quality and delivery requirements resulted in an ongoing, long term contract for the part.

Solar Energy Components

Project: Solar Energy Components

Problem: The tolerances for diameter size and roundness on the ID of a special tube made manufacturing costly and vendors difficult to find. Product acceptance was going through the roof, but the lack of an adequate supply of this key component caused delivery delays and increasing order backlog which jeopardized the entire project.

Material: 304 SST tubing

Critical Dimensions:

OD – approximately .2500 +/- .0002

ID – approximately .2100 with a .0002” (.005mm) total tolerance

Grind length on ID approximately .375” (9.5mm)

Roundness .0001” max (.0025mm)

Finish 16 Ra (.4)

Resolution: A manufacturing process was developed to provide parts complete to the customer. The process is extremely repeatable and reliable, resulting in no part rejections by end user. Production requirements have continued to increase with virtually no lag in shipments. The customer has been awarded long-term, multi-year commitments for the project.

Blood Testing Instrument

Problem: Device re-design resulted in issues with the ability to manufacture the key part of the instrument. Existing vendor base would not attempt to manufacture.

Material: Tungsten

Critical Dimensions:

.0070Ø x .87” long in the middle of the part

Hold +.0000/-.0002” tolerance on diameter

Hold +/-.001” tolerance on length of .007”Ø

8 Ra surface finish max

Resolution: A manufacturing process was developed that not only resulted in the ability to make the part, but withstood two part revisions that tightened tolerances to give the device an even higher level of function and reliability.

Heart Valve Clip

Project: Heart Valve Clip Locking Pin

Problem: The extremely small size of the part, critical to affixing a clip to a defective heart valve, resulted in manufacturing difficulties, and unacceptable inconsistencies in holding the required part tolerances.

Material: Elgiloy

Critical Dimensions:

Center Diameter size - .0191/.0190

OAL: .056’’

8 Ra surface finish

.001” max inside corner radii

Resolution: a manufacturing process was created that yielded 95% success rate. Project was able to move forward into clinical trials and is currently seeking FDA approval.

Pacemaker

Problem: In a patent race with competitors, this company needed a rapid prototype of a newly designed part. Parts needed to be manufactured complete and shipped in one week.

Material: 304 SST

Critical Dimensions:

Small, detailed relief in middle of part

OAL 5.0"

Resolution: Parts were manufactured in time, but when a shipping SNAFU occurred, and it was evident that the "drop dead" delivery date was going to be compromised, M&S re-acquired the package from the shipping company, put a representative on a plane and personally flew it to the customer the same day!